Broken Heart
(Corazon Roto)

 
 
 Isaac Victor Kerlow

IKerlow@qcvaxa.qc.acc.edu

The Broken Heart installation explores the parallels between the broken hearts of lovers and the broken hearts of warriors. Talking about broken hearts at the individual and social levels implies walking a fine line between a soap opera and real drama. There are always two versions of a story, especially when it comes to broken hearts. Whether the heart of a nation or the heart of an individual have been broken, we usually encounter truth and deception walking hand in hand, acceptance and denial side by side---attack and defense, winner and loser, right and wrong: broken heart. The first version of the installation, presented in 1992 as part of a cultural festival in Mexico City that commemorated the 500th Anniversary of the discovery of the Americas, consisted of various parts. At its heart, an interactive computer program allowed the audience to select a variety of images and sound options. The interactive texts were written by the artist and recorded by friends and professional actors.

Around the installation were several computer-generated images created through a combination of digital printing and traditional printmaking techniques. Several objects related to the topic were scattered throughout the space occupied by the installation.

The system utilized for presenting the interactive installation Broken Heart responded to selections made by the audience through a mouse connected to a computer. All the responses from the system resulted in animated sequences displayed on the computer screen and texts recited through the computer's speakers.

The images in Broken Heart were created with computer-graphic techniques. The general process consisted of simulating three-dimensional textured models of all the objects represented in the images, for example, a crystal heart and a human torso. The image applied as a texture on most of the objects simulated with the computer came from the photograph that I took a while ago of a torn plum.

The original Broken Heart interactive installation contained seven animated sequences and 20 recited texts. The computer system included an Apple IIci with 32 Mb of RAM, a RasterOps 24STV 24-bit graphics card, a 400-Mb external hard disk and a 70-Hz stereo speakers. The second version of the Broken Heart installation has two new features: it includes video sequences in addition to the digital imagery, and it is multilingual. Participants can see individuals from different ethnic backgrounds as they "recite" the texts. Participants can also choose several languages for the audio delivery of the texts. This version of Broken Heart is contained in a CD-ROM (compact disc-read only memory) and makes extensive use of the Quicktime compressed-video format.